Full-fashioned knitted foundation garment



y 1951 c. D. GOFF ETAL 2,983,128

- FULL-FASHIONED KNITTED FOUNDATION GARMENT Original Filed Oct. 13, 1958I o o WWLB 303132333 /35363 Fig.7

INVENTOR$ CLHR DHYID GOFF BYWHLTEK S. DETW1LER XWM United States PatentFULL-FASHIONED KNITTED FOUNDATION GARMENT Clarence David Golf, 670Meeting House Road, Elkins Park, Pa, and Walter S. Detwiler, 109 DowningAve, West Chester, Pa.

Continuation of application Ser. No. 766,930, Oct. 13, 1958. Thisapplication Oct. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 847,424

12 Claims. (Cl. 66-177) The present invention relates generally to theart of girdles and more particularly to full-fashioned knitted girdlesformed primarily of a plurality of full-fashioned knitted fabric blanksof required shape and elasticity, this application being a continuationof our pending application, Serial No. 766,930, filed October 13, 1958,now abandoned.

The general object of the invention is to provide a full-fashionedgirdle which is relatively light in weight and which has a maximum ofbody confining power, the girdle being formed of a like pair offull-fashioned knitted body flanks of generally rectangular shape and ofa full-fashioned knitted diamond-shaped crotch blank.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a full-fashionedknitted girdle-forming blank of generally rectangular shape wherein thesame if formed of three suture joined lengthwise extending variablewidth panellike sections of which the center section is knit of elasticyarn and the side sections are each knit of a pair of stretch yarns.

It is an object of the invention to provide a special stitchconstruction for the elastic center section of the above blank in orderto increase the coursewise stretch and elasticity thereof, theconstruction providing recurrent groups of wales of stitches spaced byunknit float wales of the elastic yarn.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a special stitchconstruction for the sutures between the center and side panel sectionsof the above blank wherein each of said sutures is formed of the elasticyarn of the center section and of one of each of the pairs of stretchyarns of the side sections, respectively.

it is still a further object of the invention to form the girdle formingbody and crotch fabric blanks by full-fashioned knitting wherein theseblanks are knit to the shape needed for the girdle formation bynarrowing and widening operations, and wherein the girdle may then beformed from these blanks without any cutting thereof.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed description of a preferred form ofthe invention shown in the accompanying drawings and from the appendedclaims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the full-fashioned girdle of the presentinvention formed primarily of a pair of full-fashioned knitted bodyblanks and of a full-fashioned knitted crotch blank;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the girdle shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the disposition of thefull-fashioned knitted body and crotch blanks of the girdle of Figure 1,in spaced relation;

Figure 4 is a plan view of a full-fashioned knitted fabricgirdle-forming body blank having a central panel knit of elastic yarnand adjoining side panels knit of Stretch yarns;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the welt end of the blank shown inFigure 4, as taken on line 5-5 thereof;

Figure 6 is a stitch diagram of a few wales of the central elastic panelof the blank shown in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the paths of travel of the yarncarriers in relation to the needles in the formation of the sutureconnection between the central and the side panels; and

Figure 8 is a plan view showing a series of connecte full-fashionedknitted fabric crotch blanks.

The full-fashioned knitted girdle of the present invention is indicatedgenerally at 10 in Figure 1, and is formed primarily of a like pair ofoppositely disposed full-fashioned knitted fabric body blanks 11 and 12and of a folded diamond-shaped full-fashioned knitted fabric crotchblank 13 disposed therebetween adjacent to the leg ends thereof. Abovethe crotch 13, the blanks I1 and 12 are edged seamed together at 14 and15, front and back, to form the main tubular body-receiving portion ofthe girdle, while below the crotch piece the blanks each have their ownedges seamed together as at 1616 to form the pair of tubular leg members17-17. The four edges of crotch blank 13 are seamed to the respectivefour edges of the blanks 1i and 12 as at 1818 to complete the crotcharea of the girdle. A waist encircling elastic band 19, of any suitableformation, is preferably seamed to the upper ends 43 of the joinedblanks 1] and 12 to finish off the top of the girdle. Inasmuch as thefabric body blanks 11 and 12 are of like formation, a description ofone, shown fiat at 11 in Figure 4 as it comes from the machine, willsufiice for both.

The body blank '11 is preferably knit upon a fullfashioned knittingmachine of the type used for the formation of full-fashioned hosiery,the machine, using up to five carrier rods, providing a full-fashionedshape for the body blanks during the knitting thereof Inasmuch as theblanks are knit to shape, cutting of the fabric with the attendant yarnwastage is eliminated, and additionally, the blanks are provided withselvages which form a superior construction in the finished girdles.Knitting commences at the Wide end of blank 11, Figure 4, upon therequisite numbers of needles, a pair of yarn carriers feeding a pair ofstretch yarns to the needles at this time. A relatively short welt 28 ispreferably made to start the blank, this welt being made in amans-imilar to the formation of a full-fashioned stocking welt, save forthe length thereof. After welt 2-0, a few courses of plain fabric 21 areknit of the stretch yarns,

and thereafter a course 22 of loops is knitted wherein preferably everyfourth loop thereof is laterally transferred to the adjacent to formlock stitches which prevent the stitches in every fourth wale fromrunning back to the welt. Then in the subsequent courses forming thecentral panel hereinafter referred to, special stitch formations areprovided in every needle Wale from which the lock-stitch-forming looporiginated.

At this time additional yarn carriers of the machine are placed inoperation and their paths are adjusted so that a single carrier feeds anelastic yarn to form the central panel 23 of blank 11 while a first pairof carriers feeds a first pair of stretch yarns to form one side panel24 and a second pair of carriers feeds a second pair of stretch yarns toform the opposite side panel 25. The side panels 24-25, following picotline 22, are relatively narrow compared to the width of central panel23. The three panels are joined by overlappingly feeding and knittingthe yarns upon a number of common needles, the resulting joinderbeing-indicated by the lines 26. The feeding arrangement of the elasticyarn of panel 23 and of the pair of stretch yarns of panel 24 isillustrated in Figure 7,

wherein 27 indicates the elastic yarn, 28 and 29 indicate the pair ofstretch yarns, in relation to eight needles numbered 30 through 37 uponcertain of which the suture connection between the panels'23 and 24is'knitted, and a cycle of six courses of knitting is indicated at Athrough F. In courses A and B, elastic yarn 27 is fedto all needlesknitting panel 23 includingneedles 32 through 37, stretch yarn 28 is fedto all needles knitting panel 24 including needles 3ti31, and stretchyarn 29 is fed to all needles knitting panel 24 including needles 30through 33. Thus, in these two courses, except for the common wales ofneedles 32-33, the elastic yarn is knit on all the needles formingthe'central panel 23, including the 4 ing the recurrent inward transferof stitches from a number of needles in spaced courses, the lines ofspaced narrowing marks 46- 46 resulting therefrom. The width of centralpanel 23 may remain constant, or it may be further decreased as desired,as -at 47-47, between the courses 44-45. Following the'picot course 45,the transferred stitches of which terminate the float wales .42, aconstant width end band 48 of a suitable number of courses is knit ofone pair of the stretch yarns, knitting of the elastic yarn and of theother pair of the stretch yarns being terminated. In this manner a flatselvaged full-fashioned knitted girdle-forming body blank of irequisiteshape is formed.

needles 32 through '37, and the pair of stretch yarns panels arenarrowed, to provide for the overlapping pairs 7 of wales indicatedgenerally by the lines 26. In this manner the elastic yarn is knit withone of each pair of the stretch yarns to form feathered edge sutureswithout excessive bulk therein and with a minimum tendencyto curl thefabric.

While the sutures along the lines 26 have been shown and described asbeing of stepped formation upon the pairs of common wales, it is withinthe scope of the invention to form the sutures upon any desired numberof wales and to also caue the sutures to be formed without the steppingformation thereof. In the latter instance, the sutures are formed uponthe same common wales throughout each portion of the panels, except, ofcourse,

where the panels are narrowed, in which case the suture forming walesare accordingly caused to change.

The elastic panel 23 is provided with spaced walewise extendingformations which are indicated by the relatively closely spaced lines 38in Figure 4. A portion of this fabric is shown enlarged in Figure 6wherein a course G has recurrent groups of four wales indicated at 39'through 42. In each group of wales, which need not be limited to four,regular stitches of elastic yarn are formed in three wales, as at 39, 40and 41 while the elastic yarn extends or floats unknit across the spaceof the fourth wale 42, between wales 39 and 41 of the recurrent adjacentgroup of wales. The floats of elastic yarn in recurrent spaced walesserves to increase the coursewise stretch of the fabric of the centralpanel 23. In the machine, every fourth needle is prevented from knittingin the usual manner, and the heats 42 are formed thereat by the use ofcovering points acting on these needles during the normal knittingperiod. The floats: may also be formed by first knitting the stitches inthe the five yarn carriers. The joinder lines 26 are of steplikeformation between courses 43 and 44. As a general proposition, theoutline, of full-fashioned fabric is indica tive of the number ofneedles knitting, the lengths of the yarn carrier strokes, and thenumber of courses knit between changes thereof. From course 44 to picotcourse at 45, near the narrow end of blank 11, side panels 24 and areprogressively and symmetrically decreased in width. on the outer sidesthereof by a shortening oftheir yarn carrier strokes and'by anarrowingoperation involv-L Full-fashioned fabric itself, or any articlewhich is full-fashioned, is knit to its required shape upon afullfashioned machine of the type normally used to make full-fashionedhosiery and wherein at least certain of the shaping is performed byusing transfer points to transfer a number of stitches from the needlesmaking the same to needles adjacent thereto in a number of courses, thisprocess causing one or more lines of transfer marks to be made withinthe fabric.

The yarn 27 has been termed an elastic yarn, and while other typm ofnatural or synthetic yarns may be used in place thereof, it is preferredthat the yarn 27 be of the Lastex type wherein a rubber strand is yarncovered, the covering yarn being preferably nylon or the like. The yarns28 and 29 have been termed stretch yarns, and

while other types of natural or synthetic yarns may be used in placethereof, it is preferred that these yarns be of the Helanca type whereinthe strands thereof have been deformed to provide the stretch qualities.

The full-fashioned knitted crotch forming blanks 13 are formed, Figure8, in a continuous connected series, also upon a full-fashioned machine,and preferably of stretch yarns. Each blank commences knitting upon arelatively few needles to form the narrow connecting portions 49, thenthe blanks are symmetrically widened to form the diverging selvages 5G50to the full width of the blanks, and then the blanks are symmetricallynarrowed to form the converging selvages 51-51.' These blanks aresubstantially diamond-shaped with the wales thereof extending verticallyas in Figure 8.

so that the face sides of the fabric blanks form the outer sides of thegirdle itself. The crotch blank is preferably folded so that the walesthereof are normal to the fold 7 pair of blanks. course 44 is shaped tofit over the hips and abdomen of line. The respective edges of theblanks are joined by overedge seams of the type normally used to formfullfashioned hosiery. 'Fhe diametrically opposite seams 14 and 15 jointhe respective selvages of the pair of blanks 11 and 12 above crotch 13,each seam 16 joins the selvages of a blank below the crotch to form aleg portion 17, and the seams 18 join the four selvages of the crotchblank v13 to the respective four selvages of the In the finished girdle,the portion above the wearer while the portion below this course fitsover the upper thighs and the buttocks.

It will be observed that the pair of stretch yarns 2829 are conjointlyfed to and'are knit by a bank of needles in the formation of panel 24.This pair of yarns is knit in the usual manner by the needles, and maybe in plated or in non-plated relation to each other in each stitchformed of the pair thereof, so far as the present invention isconcerned. Similarly, in the suture 26, where the stretch yarn 29 andthe elastic yarn 27 is knit together upon the suture-forming-needles,this pair of yarns also may be in either plated or in non-platedrelation. As a result of knitting a pair of stretch yarns in panel 24and of knitting a single stretch yarn along with the elastic yarn 27 inthe suture forming wales, in the cycle illustrated in Figure 7, thesuture is relatively thin and is without undesirable bulk.

It will be understood that the present invention is susceptible ofvarious changes and modifications which may be made from time to timewithout departing from the general principles or real spirit of theinvention, and accordingly it is intended to claim the same broadly, aswell as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A full-fashioned weft knitted girdle of the type having a generallytubular main portion, a crotch area and a pair of leg portions, saidgirdle being primarily formed of a like pair of selvaged full-fashionedknitted body blanks and of a generally diamond-shaped selvagedfullfashioned knitted crotch blank, wherein said body blanks each have aportion of the selvages at the lower end thereof joined to form said legportions, wherein said crotch blank has its four selvages joined to thefour respective selvages of said blanks adjacent said leg portions toform said crotch area, and wherein the remaining selvages of said blanksare respectively joined to form said tubular portion of said girdle,each of said body blanks being of generally rectangular shape in itslower region which in the finished girdle fits over the upper thighs andbuttocks of the wearer and tapering symmetrically inward thereabove to apoint proximate the upper edge to define a portion which in the finishedgirdle fits over the hips and abdomen of the wearer.

2. A full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 1 wherein eachof said body blanks is formed of at least three suture joined lengthwiseextending panel-like sections each of which is of varying width, thecenter one of said sections being formed of an elastic yarn while theremaining sections are each formed of stretch yarns.

3. A full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 1 wherein eachof said body blanks is formed of at least three suture joined lengthwiseextending panel-like sections, the center one of said sections beingformed of an elastic yarn while the remaining sections are each formedof a pair of stretch yarns, and said sutures are each formed of saidelastic yarn and of one only of each of said pairs of stretch yarns.

4. A full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 1 wherein eachof said body blanks comprises three lengthwise extending panel-likesections which are overlappingly joined during the formation thereof,the center one of said sections being formed of an elastic yarn whilethe remaining sections are formed of stretch yarns, each of said blankshaving terminal courses formed of stretch yarns, said terminal coursesextending across said three sections.

5. A full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 1 wherein eachof said body blanks is formed of at least three suture joined lengthwiseextending panel-like sections, the center one of said sections beingformed of an elastic yarn while the remaining sections are each formedof stretch yarns, each of said body blanks having a terminal weltextending across said sections, said welts forming the terminal portionsof said leg portions.

6. A full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 1 wherein eachof said body blanks is formed of three suture joined lengthwiseextending panel-like sections, the

- center one of said sections being formed of an elastic yarn while theremaining sections are each formed of stretch yarns, and wherein saidbody blanks are joined to each other and to said crotch blank along thesaid remaining sections.

7. A full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 1 wherein eachof said body blanks is formed of three suture joined lengthwiseextending panel-like sections, the center one of said sections beingformed of an elastic yarn while the remaining sections are each formedof a pair of stretch yarns, the selvages of said body blanks beingformed of said stretch yarns, the said center section having recurrentspaced groups of wales of stitches of said elastic yarn and having atleast one unknit float wale of said elastic yarn to provide the spacingbetween adjacent ones of said groups of wales, and wherein said bodyblanks are joined to each other and to said crotch blank along thestretch yarn selvages of said remaining sections.

8. A full-fashioned weft knitted girdle of the type having a generallytubular mainportion, a crotch area and a pair of leg portions, saidgirdle being primarily formed of a like pair of generally rectangularshaped selvaged full-fashioned knitted body blanks and of a generallydiamond-shaped selvaged full-fashioned knitted crotch blank, whereinsaid body blanks each have a portion of the selvages at one end thereofjoined to form said leg portions, wherein said crotch blank has its fourselvages joined to the four respective selvages of said blanks adjacentsaid leg portions to form said crotch area, and wherein the remainingselvages of said blanks are respectively joined to form said tubularportion of said girdle, each of said body blanks being formed of atleast three suture-joined lengthwise-extending panel-like sections, eachsection of which is of varying width, the center one of said sectionsbeing formed of an elastic yarn while the remaining sections are eachformed of stretch yarns.

9. The full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 8 whereineach of said remaining sections is formed of a pair of stretch yarns andsaid sutures are each formed of said elastic yarn and of one only ofeach of said pairs of stretch yarns.

10. The full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 8 whereineach of said body blanks has upper and lower terminal courses formed ofstretch yarns extending completely across said blank.

11. The full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 8 whereinsaid body blanks are joined to each other and to said crotch blank alongthe sides of said remaining sections.

12. The full-fashioned knitted girdle as set forth in claim 8 whereinthe selvages of said body blanks are formed of said stretch yarns,wherein the said body blank center section has recurrent spaced groupsof wales of stitches of said elastic yarn and has at least one unknitfloat wale of said elastic yarn to provide the spacing between adjacentones of said groups of wales, and wherein said body blanks are joined toeach other and to said crotch blank along the stretch yarn selvages ofsaid remaining sections.

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